Cashew Free Garlic-Herb Sauerkraut
Tangy, aromatic, and deeply satisfying, this fermented cabbage gets a serious upgrade from sliced garlic, woody rosemary, fresh thyme, and a bay leaf tucked right into the jar. The process is pure old-world simplicity — just cabbage, sea salt, and time — which means there's absolutely nothing to second-guess when it comes to hidden ingredients or shared-facility concerns. Massaging the cabbage until it releases its own brine is genuinely one of the most rewarding kitchen techniques you can learn, and watching the jars bubble away on your counter over the following week feels like a small miracle every time. The garlic mellows and perfumes the whole batch as it ferments, while the herbs add a savory, almost Mediterranean depth that plain sauerkraut just can't touch. Tasting it daily from day five onward is half the fun — you get to decide exactly when the sourness hits your personal sweet spot. Once it's sealed and chilling in the fridge, you've got up to three months of a genuinely versatile condiment ready to pile onto sausages, grain bowls, sandwiches, or anything else that needs a bright, probiotic punch.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 lb), outer leaves reserved
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt (non-iodized)
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- 1
Remove 2–3 outer leaves from the cabbage and set them aside. Quarter the cabbage, remove the core, and shred it as thinly as possible — about 1/8-inch ribbons — using a chef's knife or mandoline.
- 2
Weigh the shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl. Add the sea salt at a ratio of 1.5–2% of the cabbage's weight (the 1 tbsp listed is calibrated for 2 lb / 900 g of cabbage). Toss well, then massage and squeeze the cabbage firmly with clean hands for 8–10 minutes, until it releases a significant amount of liquid and the shreds become limp and translucent.
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